SouthField legislation gets final House approval, heads to Senate

WEYMOUTH – Legislation aimed at jump-starting the SouthField project at the former South Weymouth Naval Air Station received final approval in the House on Tuesday.

It now moves to the Senate, where a simple procedural vote could land it on the governor’s desk as early as Thursday. That’s if no lawmaker blocks final approval.

Lawmakers scrambled to get the bill passed before the end of the Legislature’s formal session last Thursday, but it fell short of getting final approval. The Legislature is now in informal session, during which any lawmaker can block passage of a bill.

But House Majority Leader Ronald Mariano, D-Quincy, said he thinks the bill is on its way and won’t face opposition in the Senate after easily clearing the House.

“People recognize this is an important economic piece, and no one wants to monkey around with it,” said Mariano, whose district includes five precincts in Weymouth. “It’s awfully important to the South Shore as far as creation of jobs and economic stimulus, and I think people are anxious to get to get it to the governor and get it done.”

The bill incorporates sweeping changes to the project first proposed by its master developer, Starwood Land Ventures.

Those changes include curtailing the authority of the project’s quasi-governmental overseer, South Shore Tri-Town Development Corp.; shifting responsibility for public services to Weymouth, Rockland and Abington; and allowing each town to collect property taxes on its section.

Backers of the bill, including officials in the three towns, say it would remove the roadblocks that have hamstrung the project.

Plans for SouthField include 2,855 homes and apartments and between 900,000 and 2 million square feet of commercial space. The first homes started going up in 2011, and more than 500 people live at SouthField now. But the lucrative commercial development that was supposed to be an economic engine for the towns has failed to materialize.

Weymouth Town Council President Patrick O’Connor, who is also legislative director for state Sen. Robert Hedlund, R-Weymouth, said he’s also expecting the bill to move easily through the Senate.

“It’s a win for the towns involved,” he said.

The Senate’s next informal session is scheduled for Thursday.

If the Senate gives final approval, the governor will have 10 days to sign the bill.

Tri-Town’s board of directors on Friday voted to terminate contracts with the agency’s executive director and chief financial officer, at their recommendation, in anticipation of the legislation passing. The bill would eliminate those positions and replace the board with an expanded one.

Christian Schiavone may be reached at cschiavone@ledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @CSchiavo_Ledger.